Page 11 - Blog
- March 12, 2021
Firstly - there are two different medicines, called Fortekor and Fortekor Plus. These are not the same drug. If you want information on Fortekor Plus, click here!
Vets may prescribe Fortekor for two very different diseases. It may be prescribed if:
- your pet has heart disease - Fortekor is used for:
- dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF), caused by either mitral regurgitation (endocardiosis) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), or
- Cats, with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- your cat or dog has chronic kidney disease.
Heart disease in dogs and cats
About 10% of all dogs, and about 15% of all cats have heart disease.
Possible causes of heart diseases can be:
- a heart valve infection (called endocardiosis) which may have resulted from blood infection or periodontal disease,
- a cardiac muscle disease (eg. dilated cardiomyopathy)
- .an increase in the thickness of the muscular wall of the heart (called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). This reduces the volume of blood within the
- March 05, 2021
Vetmedin is prescribed by vets to treat dogs with heart diseases. Vetmedin is used for congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by two types of heart disease:
- Mitral valve disease (MVD)
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Heart disease in dogs
Research shows that heart disease affects 10% of all dogs. Heart diseases can be caused by a valve defect (eg. mitral valve disease) or a cardiac muscle disease (eg. dilated cardiomyopathy) or through a parasite like heartworm.
Heart failure in a dog isn’t the same as a heart attack in humans. It means that the dog’s heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. The symptoms increase as the heart’s performance declines.
There’s lots of information about heart disease in dogs at this website, by the manufacturers of Vetmedin, including a canine respiratory app, for you to use to monitor your dog’s heart.
Managing my dog’s heart disease
Finding out that your dog has a heart disease is very upsetting for many owners, but
- March 02, 2021
Caninsulin is prescribed for pets that are diagnosed as diabetic, or suffering diabetes mellitus.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus (commonly called diabetes) is a disease caused by the body producing a deficiency of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Using insulin, the body is able to use glucose for energy. Insulin also helps balance blood glucose levels.
When the body either produces no insulin, or not enough insulin, diabetes occurs. Humans and pets get diabetes!
It is estimated that 1 in 500 dogs suffer from the signs of diabetes mellitus
Diabetes - better managed, better outcomes
Because of improvements in veterinary science, vets are better able to identify, understand and treat diabetes in pets, including diabetic dogs and diabetic cats. Feline and Canine diabetes can be managed successfully with the correct diagnosis and treatment, which includes insulin therapy using drugs like Caninsulin (called
- March 02, 2021
Propalin syrup is prescribed for dogs (and very occasionally, cats) that suffer urinary incontinence.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. It is quite common in middle-aged and older spayed female dogs, but it can be seen in intact females and males. In many cases, the first you’ll know about it is a small wet patch on the dog’s bed at night - if untreated, the amount of urine can increase, and can even lead to urine scalding your pet’s skin. It’s also unhygienic and smelly - this makes pets and humans unhappy!
Incontinence isn’t naughtiness, or inappropriate weeing - an incontinent dog will be completely unaware that they are passing urine.
Whilst there can be other causes (like bladder infections), incontinence is often caused by “sphincter mechanism incompetence”. SMI means that the muscle at the neck of the bladder is weak - when an animal lies down or changes position, urine flows into the neck of the bladder and if the
- October 01, 2020
Parvovirus, or parvo as it more commonly known, is an extremely contagious virus that primarily affects unvaccinated puppies, puppies who are partway through their vaccination course, or unvaccinated adult dogs. Discovered in 1967, the virus had spread worldwide by 1978 and by the late 1970s, a vaccine became available.
There is no cure for parvovirus and the virus is extremely resistant to disinfectants, alcohol, heat and the cold. Parvo is one of the most serious viruses a dog can get and infection can often be fatal, especially if treatment is not started quickly enough. Any dog owner that has been unlucky enough to have a dog with parvo can tell you what a horrible disease it is. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian about making sure your dog is protected from parvo.
What is Parvo?
Parvovirus is a DNA virus. There are several types of DNA viruses that affect humans including the herpes virus that causes cold sores, the varicella-zoster virus that causes chicken pox or shingles, and
- July 14, 2020
CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in pets is an emergency technique used when your pet has stopped breathing and they have no heartbeat. It involves rescue breathing or mouth-to-snout resuscitation and chest compressions.
Seeing your dog in a life-threatening situation can be a terrifying and stressful experience, especially if your dog is unresponsive. Arming yourself with the knowledge to effectively recognize and take action to treat your dog’s condition can help to keep you calm and greatly increase your dog’s chance of survival.
The two life-saving procedures you need to know are artificial respiration and CPR for dogs. This article will outline how to identify whether your dog needs CPR and how to perform those procedures.
1. Check For a Pulse and Breathing
Use your middle finger to find a pulse in one of the following locations:
- Below Wrist
- Inner Thigh
- Below Ankle or
- Where the elbow touches the chest
2. Check for Other Warning Signs
- Do Gums and lips appear white/gray
- March 16, 2020Since the World Health Organisation declared the 2019 novel coronavirus (also known as CoVID-19) a global health emergency, you might have been wondering if this virus could be transmitted to your pet. This article pulls information from a variety of international sources to discuss the risk of your pet becoming infected with COVID-19.
- March 01, 2020
First, before we take a deep understanding of how epilepsy can affect pets, here are some common terms you will come across in this article about epilepsy and seizures in pets, and their definitions:
Common Terms - Epilepsy in Pets
- Automatisms - Involuntary or unconscious movements
- Atonic Seizure - Type of seizure that is characterised by a loss of muscle tone
- Cluster Seizures - Two or more seizures in a 24-hour period usually occurring with a shorter than normal interval
- Focal/Partial Seizure - Only one part of the brain is affected by the disruption to electrical impulses therefore only one part of the body is affected
- Generalised Seizure - Both sides (hemispheres) of the brain are affected
- Idiopathic Epilepsy - Idiopathic means unknown cause, so this description is usually attributed to seizures where the cause isn't structural and they are assumed to be genetic
- Interictal Period - The time between seizures
- Myoclonic Seizure - Sudden shock-like jerking of a single muscle or groups of
- November 08, 2019
Approximately 10% of all dogs, and 75% of senior dogs, have some form of heart disease. Heart disease can affect just one side of the heart (left or right), or sometimes it can affect both sides. It is slow to develop and can result from a genetic defect or have been caused by old age, injury, infection, poor diet or a lack of exercise.
When a dog's heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood around the body, this is a condition known as congestive heart failure (CHF). Congestive heart failure itself is not a disease: it is a condition that is the result of heart disease. Congestive heart failure is a fairly common condition in dogs. CHF causes an increase in both pressure and fluid in and around the heart that eventually leaks out into the lungs and sometimes elsewhere in a dog’s body. This build-up of fluid restricts a dog’s lungs and prevents them from expanding normally, thereby reducing the exchange of oxygen into the bloodstream.
What is the Difference Between Right-Sided
- October 01, 2019
Arthritis is a very common condition in humans and dogs alike. It typically affects dogs in their senior years, and certain breeds are also more susceptible than others. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage between the bones to break down quicker and the rubbing of the bones causes inflammation and pain. Any of the joints in the body can be affected by arthritis, but is it most commonly found in the shoulders, elbows, knees or hips.
Causes of Arthritis
Aside from old age, there are a range of factors that can cause osteoarthritis to develop in your dog:
- Overweight dogs have extra strain on their joints which increases their risk of developing osteoarthritis.
- As mentioned, certain breeds are more susceptible to developing osteoarthritis. Larger breeds such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are more prone to developing osteoarthritis.
- Genetics also plays a part in whether or not a dog will develop osteoarthritis.
- If a dog sustains an injury, they can also be more prone
